


I Have No Longer the Heart to Love

by Innocentfighter



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Anger, Betrayal, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Crime Fighting, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, RHATO Spoilers, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 10:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17057783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Innocentfighter/pseuds/Innocentfighter
Summary: Tim catches Jason before he goes to kill Penguin. They fight.





	I Have No Longer the Heart to Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hmm. There's a trend here.

“Jason, what are you doing?”

Jason turns around to see Tim perched on a ledge behind him. Behind his mask his eyes are wide.

“Something you never could,” Jason shoves the ammo into the gun.

“You promised you wouldn’t kill again,” Tim jumps down.

Jason tilts his head back, challenging.

“You promised.”

“And Batman promised me he wouldn’t let me die,” Jason bites out, “promises get broken in this city. Especially among bats.”

Tim crosses his arm, “so you kill Penguin, what does that do?”

Jason watches him. The Bat-signal is bright in the sky. It usually is. For once he feels something other than anger at the sign. Fear creeps its way up his back. He knows Batman won’t forgive him. Not for something so public. Not that he would if he killed someone with no witnesses.

This time he’s giving Batman a choice. Jason knows what one he’s going to make, but the option is there.

“Saves lives. Maybe not tonight or tomorrow, but in future when Penguin is just a memory. A killer who died.”

“You’re only going to ruin this family,” Tim says.

Jason snorts, “I haven’t been a part of the family since I was fifteen. Batman isn’t suddenly going to care about me now.”

Tim steps closer, he looks like he plans to fight. Jason laughs at the thought. They both knew what the outcome of the fight would be. He almost wishes Tim would try and start something. Just to put him in his place.

“He does care about you!” Tim almost yells, “he almost destroyed himself in grief.”

“You should have let him,” Jason says coolly.

Tim stumbles back, “you don’t mean that.”

“Don’t I?” Jason lifts the gun, “what’s he done for me since I came back to this city?”

“He didn’t know it was you,” Tim argues.

“He did,” Jason holsters the gun, “he just didn’t want to believe that his soldier came back to kill him.”

“You were his son.”

The laugh that tears itself from his throat is bitter and raw, “I was _never_ his son. I was his soldier. The charity case.”

“He adopted you,” Tim counters, “you know he cared.”

Jason closes his eyes against the memories of adoption papers and of late-night ice-cream and burger runs. He shuts his heart off to the happiness he felt.

“The second I stopped being his perfect soldier he stopped caring. Suddenly I wasn’t his priority.”

Tim frowns, “because he was worried you’d kill someone.”

“Oh so, what about Nightwing and Batwoman and Robin?” Jason turns fully around, “why aren’t they kicked out of the manor?”

“He…” Tim hesitates, “it’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Jason straightens to his full height, “they killed with the intention to kill but since Batwoman gave her word she wouldn’t its fine and since Nightwing is the Golden Boy it’s fine and since Robin is the Blood Son its fine.”

Tim purses his lips.

“Honestly, can you say he wouldn’t treat you like the black sheep if you killed?” Jason bites his cheek.

After a pause, Tim answers, “I have to believe he wouldn’t.”

Jason chuckles, “but you don’t know.”

“Don’t make this about me.”

“Make you uncomfortable?”

The roof is silent. Jason notes that the temperature is dropping. He should finish up this conversation. Tim is going to follow him if he doesn’t do something. Shooting Red Robin is the quickest way to get Batman on his ass. Not that he’s worried about that, he just wants to do what he set out to do before he’s sent to Arkham to never see the light of day.

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” Tim says surprise, “this isn’t the pit.”  
“Look at you,” Jason tenses, “you’ll be a detective in no time.”

“Why?”

“Why?” Jason shrugs, “Penguin is scum and he deserves to die for what he’s done to people.”

“This isn’t personal?”

Jason snorts again, “I don’t give a rat’s ass about Willis.”

“Then why Penguin?”

“Because he’s worth something to this city,” Jason laughs, “he’s one of the founders of the gang life of Gotham.”

Tim shakes his head, “if you take another step. I’m going to have to stop you.”

Jason doesn’t give him time to react. He’s wanted this since Red Robin dropped onto the roof. Red Hood slips into a fighting stance and brings his leg up in a roundhouse kick. Red Robin crouches below it and lunges himself forward. Behind his mask, Jason smirks. He resets and steps to the side bringing his knee up the second Red Robin is committed.

He grins at the soft oof of air. Red Robin jumps back and pulls out his bo-staff. Red Hood rolls his eyes. The staff comes down towards his head, but Red Hood grabs it at the last second and pulls Red Robin off balance. He follows up by stepping closer and shoving Red Robin to the ground. Several feet away the staff clatters to the ground.

Red Robin rolls with the fall and is up on his feet. Red Hood rolls his shoulders and then goes on the attack. Red Robin might be faster than him, but Red Hood can keep the momentum going whereas Red Robin loses his every time he dodges.

The shot he was looking for came finally. Red Hood switches the rhythm he was conditioning Red Robin to and delivers an uppercut in the middle of a right hook, right cross, left jab routine. He hears the click of teeth and this time Red Robin lands sprawled on the roof. There’s a trail of blood in the corner of Red Robin’s mouth. He wipes it away and glares up.

“Finished?” Jason spits.

“Hood, what the hell are you thinking?” Tim's lips curl down.

“Oh, someone is mad,” Jason lifts his hands to remove the helmet, “upset you lost?”

“You’re throwing away everything!”

“I was already thrown away!”

They stare at each other for several seconds. Tim crouches like he’s going to resume the fight. Jason drops his hips and makes it clear that this time he wouldn’t be holding back. A scream pierces the air between them. Tim turns towards it, already moving to save the woman.

He reaches the edge of the building and looks backward, “please don’t do this, you’re only going to hurt the people you love.”

Jason’s lips curl into a snarl, “who said I ever loved them?”

Tim narrows his eyes, “don’t lie to yourself. It's unbecoming.”

A second scream echoes in the silence. He pulls out his grappling hook and uses it to sail away into the night.

Jason watches him go and pulls the helmet back on after taking off the domino mask.

“I gave them everything,” Jason says quietly, “I’m just taking it back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully, I did what I intended with this fic. As always leave your thoughts below!


End file.
